Two years in the making, Richy Nix‘s new album, Fearless is finally dropping on July 24th. The content on this album is very personal to Nix, as he explained that working on Fearless gave him hope during some rather rough times.
Nix’s music is a hybrid of hip-hop, metal and electronic that definitely shines on his most recently released track, “Erase You,” which can be heard below.
Interview by Dom Vigil
Your new album, Fearless is dropping on July 24th – can you tell us a little bit about it? What is the driving force or inspiration behind Fearless?
Between ending a 6-year relationship, having thousands of dollars stolen from me by my close friends and my uncle passing away, I was losing my mind and was damn near homeless, amongst other shitty things. I took the time to write how I felt. Working on this album gave me hope it kept my head above the water.
Fearless has sort of been a long time in the making – you’ve mentioned that you’ve been working on it for two years. Do you feel that the amount of time you spent on it really helped you create your best release possible?
I spent a year making demos (instrumentals), I made about 300 of them…no lie. I went to the studio and we picked the best parts of each demo and within a month I had recorded the entire record. It also took a lot of time working on the mixes with Joey Sturgis. He’s a very busy guy but he worked on my stuff pretty fast and did an amazing job. I feel like it’s my best release possible simply because I progressed and matured as an artist and as a human being.
What was the writing process like for Fearless? Was it a little different considering the lack of time constraints?
Since I had a lot to get off my chest, writing the lyrics to this record was easy. I just did what I always do and spoke about how I felt at the time. Musically, I was pretty much alone with Marty Bak (SLR Studios) and did all the tracking—also, a lot of cool melodies came to life there. I would then get the mixes sent to me from Joey and I would listen to them at my studio (Polaris Recording Studio) and perfect them by sending them back and forth to Joey.
Was there anything you really wanted to accomplish with the new album?
I wanted to get all the bullshit off of my chest and musically I wanted a decent blend of alt. rock choruses, metalcore breakdowns, electronic synths in the background and some multi-syllable rhymes in the hip-hop parts. I think I did a damn good job. I’m proud of myself on this one.
You recently released your new single “Erase You.” What is the story behind the song?
I was watching CNN, something I RARELY do. It led me to do some research on the corruption in our governments. I wrote a song on my frustrations on this topic. There’s so many lies, it’s the blind leading the blind leading the blind.
What inspired you to start writing music?
It’s in my blood. I naturally gravitated towards it. I hung out with a group of rappers from Detroit when I was about 16 and I would go to the studio with them and play on the keyboards. I started making beats, then rapping then joined a metalcore band and now I fuse it all together. I am not mentally built for a 9-5, I become extremely depressed. I have to be creating music in order to live a happy life.
Is that what still inspires you today? How do you think you’ve changed since you first started to now?
The negatives of the world and in my personal life is what inspires me to write and, of course, other great musicians. I haven’t changed one bit in that domain and I don’t think I ever will.
You’ve mentioned before that your “code” to live by is love, loyalty and respect. Why are these key elements important in your life?
I got cheated on by a girlfriend and got “Love, Loyalty & Respect” tatted on my chest right over my heart. I decided to make that my code, my way of life. Any man or women who tries their best to live by this code is a decent person in my eyes. It’s also something that anyone can relate to from all walks of life.
What would you like listeners to be able to take away from Fearless or your music in general?
Life is hard and sometimes it gets even worse, but keep your head up don’t give up and you will always see brighter days. Don’t let any obstacle get in your way. Accept all challenges with a smile and when you fall get back up even faster.
With Fearless Dropping soon, what is the rest of 2015 looking like for you? Can we expect some tour dates in the near future?
I’m hoping to tour, release more music and work on some side projects.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you Prelude Press and thank you to all my fans. Much love, loyalty & respect to all.
STAY SOCIAL WITH RICHY NIX: Facebook | Twitter